'Are we rabbits?': Congress MP on Bhagwat's '3 children' advice
What's the story
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has ignited a debate with his recent remarks on India's falling population growth. He proposed that Indian couples must have at least three children to reverse the trend. Addressing the Kathale Kul (clan) Sammelan in Nagpur, he stressed on keeping the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) above 2.1, cautioning that a TFR below that could result in societal extinction sans external threats.
Context
The remarks
Yesterday, while speaking about India's stagnating population, RSS chief Bhagwat said, "The decline in population is a matter of concern. "Modern population science says that when the fertility rate of a society goes below 2.1, that society vanishes from the earth. The society gets destroyed even without any crisis. In this way, many languages and societies have disappeared. The population should not fall below 2.1," he added
Population data
India's TFR declines, contraceptive use rises
According to the 2021 National Family Health Survey data, India's current TFR has dropped from 2.2 to 2. This decline comes as the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate has risen from 54% to 67%. A TFR of 2.1 is deemed necessary for population replacement, maintaining stability without growth or decline. Bhagwat warned that many languages and cultures have already disappeared due to declining populations.
Political backlash
'Are we rabbits...': Chowdhury on Bhagwat's remarks
Bhagwat's remarks have been criticized by political leaders. Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury asked how unemployed men could support bigger families, "Are we rabbits that we will keep reproducing?" She pointed out problems like unemployment, rising costs, food adulteration, etc., as obstacles to having more kids. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi also reacted to Bhagwat's statements, saying RSS members should start marrying if they want more kids.